Craig Mastantuono

Outside of the courtroom, he applies his experience teaching criminal practice as a faculty member at Marquette University Law School. He is also a member of The American Law Institute, which publishes Restatements and Principles of the Law, and Model Codes, and whose members have the opportunity to shape the development of existing and emerging areas of law for the public good. Craig served on WI Governor-elect Tony Evers' Transition Team Advisory Council on Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform. He currently serves on Gov. Evers' Judicial Selection Advisory Committee, which interviews and recommends applicants for appointment to Wisconsin Circuit and Appellate Courts.

DEDICATED CRIMINAL DEFENSE EXPERIENCE

Craig’s practice focuses primarily on representing individuals accused of crime in criminal courts or who are the target of an investigation, as well as crisis management and white collar compliance issues. His approach dedicates significant time to client and background investigation, forming a customized strategic approach to each case and reaching a goal defined with the client.

Cases that Craig handles include homicide, reckless driving and vehicular homicide, business fraud and white collar cases, felony drug offenses and conspiracy charges, and sex assault and sexual misconduct charges among other criminal charges in state and federal courts. In particular, Craig excels in helping clients whose cases involve significant mental health and drug addiction issues. He has broad experience entering special insanity defense pleas, challenging competency, and using mental health and drug treatment needs to reach case outcome goals. In addition to Craig's legal experience, he brings his empathy and ability to connect with those often marginalized in our communities.

Over more than 30 years as a criminal defense trial lawyer, Craig has practiced in the majority of counties across Wisconsin and both federal districts. He has litigated countless legal challenges to police action, and persuaded juries in many counties of his client's innocence. Craig's writing has been published and he routinely lectures extensively on criminal defense issues in Wisconsin and nationally.

He received his law degree from DePaul University of Chicago and his undergraduate degree in Business Administration cum laude from Loyola University of Chicago.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

As the son and grandson of immigrants, Craig is a former President of Wisconsin Hispanic Lawyers Association (WHLA), and currently chairs the WHLA Scholarship Committee for Latino Law Students. He has received recognition from the Milwaukee Business Journal, which profiled him as a dynamic young business leader in its annual 40 Under Forty edition. Craig is also a mayoral appointee to the Milwaukee Harbor Commission. He is the current Chair of the American Constitution Society Milwaukee Lawyers Chapter, and was recently named to the board of the Milwaukee Jazz Institute. Craig is also a frequent expert legal commentator for TV Channel 12 WISN/ABC News Milwaukee.

CLIENT REVIEWS

"Craig, and his team did an amazing job representing our family member. He listened to our needs, show compassion along the way and worked diligently to resolve our case. Craig along with Jada and Claude-Allan took a team approach and were in constant contact with us throughout this process. Craig was well organized and very articulate with his thoughts and directions for us the entire time which was slightly over one year. I would recommend him and his team to anyone who is in need of legal counsel."

"When we first met Craig, we were untrusting and skeptical because of previous bad experiences with lawyers who claim to be the real deal. Instead of Craig writing us off, and playing on that skepticism, he took the time to show us what genuine relationship should look like between lawyer and client. He cared about more than just bragging rights and making sure invoices are paid, he actually cared about the circumstances and journey of my partner's case. He was always communicative, forth coming, and informative. He always went above and beyond for us and his passion for helping people shines through all of his efforts!!! I would recommend Craig and his team to anyone that has not had the best luck with representation and is looking for someone to actually listen. He was always respectful of my partner's thoughts, opinions, and decisions, even if he disagreed, he did so tactfully while still fighting for what we wanted. Once you hire Craig, he will always be in your corner."

"I spent a long time finding an attorney for my husband. I couldn't find anyone I felt was up for the challenge until I came across Mastantuono & Coffee. Im so glad i found Craig Mastantuono. Craig Mastantuono is great at what he does. He didn't sugar coat anything and was direct and upfront with my husband about the seriousness of his charges. My husband was charged with seven felony counts and 40 plus years in prison. The results Craig was able to achieve with my husband's case are nothing short of a miracle! He is a beast in the courtroom and a well respected attorney. I would recommend him to anyone."

"I am forever indebted to the team at Mastantuono Coffee & Thomas. My son was in an extremely bad situation and things initially were not looking too promising. He was a person who had no major run-ins with the law. However, as a result of poor decision-making, he found himself being charged with multiple felonies and facing close to a decade in prison. After his initial arrest, I knew that he would need a top-tier criminal defense attorney to ensure that he'd receive due process of law while under the least restrictive conditions during his legal proceedings. Attorney Craig Mastantuono was professional, competent, strategic, responsive, and affordable! As a result of his skilled work, my son was allowed to choose which one of the three felonies he would plea to, all other felonious counts were dismissed and read-in to the plea. The Judge imposed a prison sentence of 38 months, divided between 14 months of initial incarceration and 24 months of extended supervision, but stayed the imposition of sentence for two years of probation with very reasonable conditions. In addition, his 20 days jail/Huber was also stayed. Lastly, the court record contains a promise from the State to revisit his felony conviction after five years to restore him to a non-felony status.
My son broke the law. It was only fair to the victim and society that he should be held accountable for his actions. If it were not for attorney Craig Mastantuono and his dynamic team, I believe my son's legal battle would have ended in him being overly prosecuted. In this case, justice was served and the victim and offender were both pleased with the outcome. An added bonus is that Mastantuono Coffee and Thomas's work saved taxpayers between $675,000 to $1.8 million. Attorney Craig Mastantuono's criminal defense is simply unparalleled. If you or your family are ever in a similar situation, he is your best option."